Anyone try linemans belt and boot spikes?

[Bear]

Looks like a heck of a fast, easily packed tree climbing solution. Just not sure how much skill they require to be used safely and efficiently.

Can it be mastered by avereage joe in decent shape with a little practice?

Also, are the ones in Cabelas any good?

Gonna be getting a Bison Gear Limit Stand pack. Been planning on using Lone Wolf climbing sticks but still studyin' on it.

[BOFF]

Well,
They aren't easy to walk in for all day walks and in my opinion and they do tend to tear the trees up pretty badly, so I stopped using them. If your bowlegged, it tends to help. Just my thoughts from past experience.

[the Ferret]

I got stuck with my legs too far apart when coming down the very first time I tried using a buddies.Took me a long time to get unstuck.He liked them a lot. I didn't care for them much ha ha. If you get some, think baby steps coming down  

[Stone Knife]

I have climbed electric poles, if your in decent shape it would not be hard to get used to. A good set of tree hooks would do less damage to a tree than some of the climbing stands out there. I don't know about the ones that cabelas has, i would think that no matter what kind you had you would have to put them on by your tree and take them off when you were in your stand. Then there is always the first step down factor when your coming down  

[The Night Stalker]

I was planning on getting some to use with a tree saddle. Maybe next year. I have used them in the past, Make sure you get the real thing with tree spikes instead of poles spikes. Do a web search for american aborist supply. Tim in NC

[Swanny in MD]

have used them with a lok-on (aluminum shanks w/ aluminum stand weighs in the neighborhood of 12 pounds) since early nineties as primary stand setup.  Poplar is favorite, but can use on any tree...hate scaley bark pine.  Most trees heal up just fine year after year.  Hickory is pretty tough and noisy to climb.

yes, you have to take them off when in stand or else you'll hear alot of clicking - plus you'll dull the gaffs in a hurry.

Best part about it is being able to utilize just about any tree AND - just as important - being able to get inside the branch zone so you have decent cover so as not to stand out like a sore thumb (and hangers to put your gear on).

I can get setup and taken-down faster and quiter than anyone i've hunted with (filmed a bunch of people using diff brand climbers).  Lone Wolf seems to be the quietest and quickest, but can still beat my friend.

Have tried the sport climbers and they don't offer enough support high on your leg like the arborists and lineman gaffs do.

If you don't like heights and can't picture yourself being comfortable sitting back and trusting your lanyard with all of your weight while you balance your stand on the top of one foot, and take the rope/chain/cable and throw it around the tree with one hand and catch it with the other, ALL in the dark....

it might not be for you.        Ascending and descending is the easy/fun part.

As far as safety - can't remember a close call yet, though you do have to be mindful of getting too cold and stiff before you get down.

[doug77]

these things are VERY hard on trees and dangrous as well

doug77

[Bear]

Thanks guys. Keep 'um coming.

[Bjorn]

In my younger days I worked for the phone company and we used spurs daily to climb poles and to work in trees sometimes too. If you are going up and down the same tree as others have said it is very rough on a living tree. And, if you are not in shape, don't practice, wear the right kind of boot, know how and when to use the belt, I would not do it.

[Dave Lay]

have used the regular linemans gaffs for alot of years,(20+) around here in hardwood trees the shorter pole gaffs are better suited, I wont use a lines mans belt though, use a seat of the pants harness where you can use it like one. I dont think I would like the short ones that are not at least over calf high. The trees heal pretty quick, and they are legal in public areas I was told by a game warden. BUT I mainly wear them to keep folks out of my stand or to keep it from being stolen. If I was on secure ground, I would use something such as a lone wolf ladder.

[Blackhat]

Linemans spikes don't hold well on pine bark.  Will do ok on slick bark trees.   :D

[northern trapper]

My future son in law is a lineman and bowhunter, we used his services this past fall to put up our moose stands. The equipment he used is top quality and very expensive. I would not recommend trying this unless you are in very good physical shape and have been trained extensively. He certainly made short work of putting in stands but were he was the most usefull was in climbing trees around the stands to cut shooting lanes.

[peak98]

My father has worked for the Phone Company as a lineman for 34 years and has been climbing wit spurs for that long. He gave me a pair of spurs and a belt 6 or 7 years ago and took the time to show me how to climb properly. They are dangerous to use IF NOT USED PROPERLY. If used properly they are a safe, fast, easily portable way to climb with......but, I was shown how to climb by someone who has 34yrs experience doing it, and who took the time to coach me over the course of a couple weeks.
Going up the tree is the easy part, coming down the tree is the tricky part, along with stepping out the stand. It was alot more to it than I thought it would be. Alot of people are injured by sticking a spur in their leg, foot, or ankle while climbing, and then they're in a bind, imagine being 16-20" up in a tree and you've just buried your spur in your ankle...what are you gonna do next, YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO CLIMB UP, DOWN, AND HOW TO INSTALL, GET IN AND OUT OF THE STAND AND REMOVE THE STAND THE RIGHT WAY. There is nothing wrong with this system, but I would get professional help/coaching and learn to do it right.

[Fallguy]

The damage they do to tree's can kill them. It is not the spikes them selves but the wounds that they create. This is a prime area for tree disease to get in. The bark is natures barrier. Also if you are in an area with Oak wilt you will spread it to every tree you climb. Once infected the tree can die in 2 weeks. It is also spread buy root to root contact. So you can take out a whole grove. The only time our tree timmers at work use hooks is on a tree that is going to be removed.

[Bear]

Sounds like what I already knew... climbing sticks!

Thanks for the help everyone.

[Swanny in MD]

Can't bears can climb trees w/o gaffs?  

[ChuckC]

Bear.   check your area regs too.  Those cannot be used on Public land in WI.
ChuckC

[TSP]

I'm with Fallguy on this one.  I've seen what a treestand hunter with spikes can do to a nice stand of oaks...and its not pretty.  There are much simpler, safer and less damaging ways to climb a tree.  And even if its legal in your state (its not in mine), best check with the landowner first...or you may just lose your hunting spot once he sees what his trees look like afterwards.    :eek:      

[MI_Bowhunter]

I've never tried them because I've heard more con's then pro's to using them.  

I heard it can be a good way to get yourself covered in tree sap depending on the type of tree esp if you climb the same tree multiple times.